Transiting At Taipei Taoyuan Airport
So I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport from Cebu, just passing-by, transiting to Hanoi, on the way to Danang (cities in Vietnam). These are flights 3 & 4 on my map.
No rush. I had enough time to "transfer" at this airport, since I planned well, and that flight from CEB arrived ahead of schedule. Plus I already know my way around here.
That said, let me caution those who are not too familiar with transit and/or transfer quirks at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) that's usually always too busy.
This was 10:23AM at the VietJet check-in counters. ETD: 1230H. I wasn't late. But...
That means it took about an hour finding my way from arrival to the departure area. And I consider myself already fast, as I now know my way around this airport. Ikaw?
In fact, my delivering flight (CEB-TPE on AirAsia) and receiving flight (TPE-HAN on VietJet) both use T1. Yet, it still took me about an hour to: 'retrieve my baggage', 'do my immigration formalities', 'pass by customs', 'exit to arrival lobby', 'go up to departure area' and 'find Vietjet Check-in Counters' (photo above). Immigration eats much time.
This airport, though orderly, just has a lot of passengers every time I am around. I'm not very sure if this is already congested or what. There are 2 terminals (T1 and T2).
Oh yes they have 2 terminals, even none anymore for domestic flights (such flights have by-and-by disappeared, since the 'advent' of their HSR or High Speed Railway)!
But many airport and airline staff use North Concourse or South Concourse. Then all too many of them also keep using Concourse A, B, C and D. Do you know those?
Along the way, I just discovered on my own that Concourse A and B are actually the North Concourse that, in simplier terms is actually T1! Nomenclature overload lang!
That said therefore, Concourse C and D, actually comprise their South Concourse - which is just T2 in simple language! Knowing those makes life easier at this airport.
Ah there's a T3 coming. It's under construction. But I guess it'll be a similar building.
Now, each terminal (T1 or T2), has its own arrival baggage carousel & immigrations, which, you would initially think are far from each other. But no, they are actually not!
What takes time here is the queuing up (ay, often in zigzagging lines) at their arrival immigration. I've been observing, they're fast and efficient naman, but there are just too many passengers - I even keep asking 'saan ba nanggagaling ang mga taong ito'!
Immigration lines - that is what you have to watch out for when connecting at TPE. Why? Because, what if your connecting flght is on the other terminal? Kakaripas ka?
Don't be alarmed though heheh. Technically, based on my experiences, 2 hours may be enough to literally connect. But like any Pinoy, titingin pa, magkokodak pa - bitin!
Ah, I already described some of them before, but I'll say again here: TPE or Taoyuan Airport has many curiously interesting things for everyone. Give it more transit time.
Even their gates have themes. And, not eveybody knows is, you can actually walk to any part of the airport (all concourses, all gates). Parang mall! But, you'll need time.
That is why I wanted to go around, to see as many, if not all of those gates!
The Muddled Transit Process?
Questions: if I was just transiting in TPE, why did I have to get my bags and check-in again? Weren't they tagged to HAN or DAD? Why did I have to pass by immigration?
Good questions, but this will become another book-lengthy discourse again hahah! I'll try to shorten my answer (and probably write a whole article about 'transit' later).
In this specific case, my case, it was/is about (absence of) Interline Agreements.
It's more of an airline thing than a passenger thing. And this absence of agreements became 'rampant' with the advent of Budget Airlines aka Low Cost Carriers or LCCs.
In my case, the flight from Philippines to Taiwan was on AirAsia, and this Taiwan to Vietnam was on VietJet. They are both budget airlines with no interline agreement.
They might be "friends", but without that agreement, they are more on kanya-kanya, walang tulungan, bahala-you bahala-me attitude ba! Their only concern is their flight.
So, for AirAsia, you're their passenger only from Philippines to Taiwan, that's it. They don't care na, wherever else pa you are going. At VietJet, you're their passenger only from Taiwan to Vietnam. They also don't care kung saang lupalop ka pa nanggaling!
Kung kaya, at this Taoyuan Airport, I had to check-in like a regular passenger, at the regular check-in counters of VietJet, doon sa departure area dahil doon lang meron.
So, akyat ako from arrival to departure. Paano ang bagahe? Yun na nga, I had to get it, as neither airline can do it for me. Labas na yan sa saklaw nilang responsibilidad.
For AirAsia, dumating na tayo, ayan ang bagahe nyo sa carousel, make harbat na! At si VietJet naman doon sa taas, check-in now open. If you come, good. Otherwise, keber!
But, for me to get my bags at arrival, then go up to departure, I must pass, therefore 'cleared' by immigration authorities, right? Yes, and that, is where the long lines are!
Ang ending: I came just like any other passenger arriving (and "landing") into Taipei, then I checked-in just like regular passengers departing from Taipei. Transit ba yun?
Technically, in airline industry language, what I did was a Transfer, not a Transit.
But in layman's terms, especially from a 3rd-person's view (not the one traveling) we call it transit, that is no different from transfer, that is no different from layover, right?
If you are the passenger however, especially if you're the one making your bookings, it is best to know that those 3 words have specific differences. The above is a start!
That includes knowing at which terminal your incoming (delivering) flight will arrive in, and at which terminal your outgoing (receiving) or onward flight will depart from.
The Real Transit Process?
So ano nga ba talaga ang totoong "transit"? Ah, that is the one that does not require you to retrieve your bags and re-check them in. It is tagged all the way. Why or how?
Because, your delivering and receiving flights/airlines have an Interline Agreement. They cooperate. And mind you, that was THE standard arrangement among almost all major airlines in the world. It just got muddled-up when budget airlines sprouted.
Who are these major airlines? Yun mga hindi minor hehehe hihihi! Seriously, they are the 'usually' old or original airlines. They come in so many names like "full-service", "flag carrier", "legacy" airlines. Some fans even call them The "respectable airlines".
Examples? Ah you've heard of them all, like Japan Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Delta, Cathay Pacific, Singapore, United, American, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France...
and many many more. In short, yung mga hindi pipitsugin pero mahal na airlines!
Okay, I promise I will do another post that expounds on all about "transit". Soon!
Meanwhile, I said I was not late, I still had time, but I felt it was not enough, because I wanted to see more of this museum-like style of an airport. So what did I only see?
Other than those I already saw last time? Marami rin naman.
But let's do that in my next entry.
Coming up soonest. Promise!
No rush. I had enough time to "transfer" at this airport, since I planned well, and that flight from CEB arrived ahead of schedule. Plus I already know my way around here.
That said, let me caution those who are not too familiar with transit and/or transfer quirks at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) that's usually always too busy.
This was 10:23AM at the VietJet check-in counters. ETD: 1230H. I wasn't late. But...
In fact, my delivering flight (CEB-TPE on AirAsia) and receiving flight (TPE-HAN on VietJet) both use T1. Yet, it still took me about an hour to: 'retrieve my baggage', 'do my immigration formalities', 'pass by customs', 'exit to arrival lobby', 'go up to departure area' and 'find Vietjet Check-in Counters' (photo above). Immigration eats much time.
This airport, though orderly, just has a lot of passengers every time I am around. I'm not very sure if this is already congested or what. There are 2 terminals (T1 and T2).
Oh yes they have 2 terminals, even none anymore for domestic flights (such flights have by-and-by disappeared, since the 'advent' of their HSR or High Speed Railway)!
But many airport and airline staff use North Concourse or South Concourse. Then all too many of them also keep using Concourse A, B, C and D. Do you know those?
Along the way, I just discovered on my own that Concourse A and B are actually the North Concourse that, in simplier terms is actually T1! Nomenclature overload lang!
That said therefore, Concourse C and D, actually comprise their South Concourse - which is just T2 in simple language! Knowing those makes life easier at this airport.
Ah there's a T3 coming. It's under construction. But I guess it'll be a similar building.
Now, each terminal (T1 or T2), has its own arrival baggage carousel & immigrations, which, you would initially think are far from each other. But no, they are actually not!
What takes time here is the queuing up (ay, often in zigzagging lines) at their arrival immigration. I've been observing, they're fast and efficient naman, but there are just too many passengers - I even keep asking 'saan ba nanggagaling ang mga taong ito'!
Immigration lines - that is what you have to watch out for when connecting at TPE. Why? Because, what if your connecting flght is on the other terminal? Kakaripas ka?
Don't be alarmed though heheh. Technically, based on my experiences, 2 hours may be enough to literally connect. But like any Pinoy, titingin pa, magkokodak pa - bitin!
Ah, I already described some of them before, but I'll say again here: TPE or Taoyuan Airport has many curiously interesting things for everyone. Give it more transit time.
Even their gates have themes. And, not eveybody knows is, you can actually walk to any part of the airport (all concourses, all gates). Parang mall! But, you'll need time.
That is why I wanted to go around, to see as many, if not all of those gates!
The Muddled Transit Process?
Questions: if I was just transiting in TPE, why did I have to get my bags and check-in again? Weren't they tagged to HAN or DAD? Why did I have to pass by immigration?
Good questions, but this will become another book-lengthy discourse again hahah! I'll try to shorten my answer (and probably write a whole article about 'transit' later).
In this specific case, my case, it was/is about (absence of) Interline Agreements.
It's more of an airline thing than a passenger thing. And this absence of agreements became 'rampant' with the advent of Budget Airlines aka Low Cost Carriers or LCCs.
In my case, the flight from Philippines to Taiwan was on AirAsia, and this Taiwan to Vietnam was on VietJet. They are both budget airlines with no interline agreement.
They might be "friends", but without that agreement, they are more on kanya-kanya, walang tulungan, bahala-you bahala-me attitude ba! Their only concern is their flight.
So, for AirAsia, you're their passenger only from Philippines to Taiwan, that's it. They don't care na, wherever else pa you are going. At VietJet, you're their passenger only from Taiwan to Vietnam. They also don't care kung saang lupalop ka pa nanggaling!
Kung kaya, at this Taoyuan Airport, I had to check-in like a regular passenger, at the regular check-in counters of VietJet, doon sa departure area dahil doon lang meron.
So, akyat ako from arrival to departure. Paano ang bagahe? Yun na nga, I had to get it, as neither airline can do it for me. Labas na yan sa saklaw nilang responsibilidad.
For AirAsia, dumating na tayo, ayan ang bagahe nyo sa carousel, make harbat na! At si VietJet naman doon sa taas, check-in now open. If you come, good. Otherwise, keber!
But, for me to get my bags at arrival, then go up to departure, I must pass, therefore 'cleared' by immigration authorities, right? Yes, and that, is where the long lines are!
Ang ending: I came just like any other passenger arriving (and "landing") into Taipei, then I checked-in just like regular passengers departing from Taipei. Transit ba yun?
Technically, in airline industry language, what I did was a Transfer, not a Transit.
But in layman's terms, especially from a 3rd-person's view (not the one traveling) we call it transit, that is no different from transfer, that is no different from layover, right?
If you are the passenger however, especially if you're the one making your bookings, it is best to know that those 3 words have specific differences. The above is a start!
That includes knowing at which terminal your incoming (delivering) flight will arrive in, and at which terminal your outgoing (receiving) or onward flight will depart from.
The Real Transit Process?
So ano nga ba talaga ang totoong "transit"? Ah, that is the one that does not require you to retrieve your bags and re-check them in. It is tagged all the way. Why or how?
Because, your delivering and receiving flights/airlines have an Interline Agreement. They cooperate. And mind you, that was THE standard arrangement among almost all major airlines in the world. It just got muddled-up when budget airlines sprouted.
Who are these major airlines? Yun mga hindi minor hehehe hihihi! Seriously, they are the 'usually' old or original airlines. They come in so many names like "full-service", "flag carrier", "legacy" airlines. Some fans even call them The "respectable airlines".
Examples? Ah you've heard of them all, like Japan Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Delta, Cathay Pacific, Singapore, United, American, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France...
and many many more. In short, yung mga hindi pipitsugin pero mahal na airlines!
Okay, I promise I will do another post that expounds on all about "transit". Soon!
Meanwhile, I said I was not late, I still had time, but I felt it was not enough, because I wanted to see more of this museum-like style of an airport. So what did I only see?
Other than those I already saw last time? Marami rin naman.
But let's do that in my next entry.
Coming up soonest. Promise!
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